Dumping leftovers, refuse near airport increases risk of bird-hit

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 1

An increasing trend of dumping leftovers and refuse by ‘dhaba’ owners, resorts, hotels and residents of nearby areas on the Gumtala bypass has heightened the risk of bird hits to aircraft taking off or touching down at Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport.

A vigilant local resident, Naresh Johar, said a large number of eating joints had come up on the airport road during the past some years. He added they were not against the opening of these joints, but dumping of leftovers and refuse at the nearby open area was creating unsanitary conditions.

He elaborated the practice had increased the activity of birds in the area which falls under the flying zone because flights land and take off from the nearby Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport.

A resident of the airport road, A. Vidya Sagar, said the Amritsar Flying Club also operates from the airport from where the training sorties are being undertaken.

He added that local ‘dhabas’, hotels and non-vegetarian vendors were dumping garbage along the drain leading from the Gumtal bridge towards the Fatehgarh-Churriyan road bypass.

“Availability of plenty of eatables in the refuse attracts birds. The increased bird activity in the area is a major threat to flight safety”, he said.

He added the Amritsar flying club was also operating from the airport from where pilots undertake training sorties at a low altitude. Hence this area falls in their LFA (Local Flying Area) and the circuit area.

In case of any bird hit, the disaster may be catastrophic because there are fuel storages of PSU oil companies in the area.

Airport officials said the matter had come to their notice and it would be taken up with the authorities concerned to find a lasting solution.